The Coharie River has long been the lifeblood of the Coharie Tribe — a state-recognized indigenous tribe in southeastern North Carolina — providing sustenance, transportation and cultural and spiritual connection. Tribal elders tell stories about immersing themselves in the river’s healing waters for days at a time in order to restore their connections to both the land and the water.

But after the area was hit with back-to-back hurricanes in the 1990s, the Coharie River became clogged with downed trees, debris and beaver dams. As a result, the waters spread over the river banks, causing a loss of productive farmlands, forests and other natural assets. For years, the Coharies were unable to access the river that had been such an important part of their culture.

Coharie leaders decided to take back the river, launching an initiative that is engaging both tribal elders and young adults to restore it. To date, more than 10 miles of the river have been restored, reducing the impact of recent floods and opening access once again.

Our Role

Our Resourceful Communities program partnered with the University of North Carolina’s American Indian Center to connect Coharie leaders with a state agency that provided funding for the stream restoration project. We extended small grants to equip tribal youth with environmental job skills and helped remove beaver dams and debris, reopening the river for fishing, traditional ceremonies, kayaking and more. Through countless hours of river restoration work, Coharies young and old have brought their community together and made it possible for the next generation to experience what Phillip Bell has described as “the spirits awakening on the river.” We’re also working with tribal leaders to generate revenue through traditional sorghum production.

Why This Project Matters

Partnerships with groups such as the Coharie Tribe represent what our Resourceful Communities program is all about— unleashing grassroots power to preserve rural landscapes, enhance local economies and celebrate communities’ unique cultures. River restoration efforts will continue in order to address devastation from record-setting floods in the wake of recent hurricanes that severely impacted the Coharie and other tribal communities in eastern North Carolina.